Sewing problem for today resolved

The sewing problem for today resolved.

The last 3 to 4 to 10 years, my 25 year old sewing machine sometimes skips stitches, or does not make good seams, or the lower thread gets all tangled up.

I know this is because the tension of the top thread and the bottom are difft, and sometimes the top thread breaks often.

It maybe bc I use difft threads on the top and the bottom.

Long ago, my mother taught me how to adjust this tension on her old hand treadle sewing machine, but I never learned and am careless.

I sew in batches of 3-4 to ten items at a time.

Now I have trouble threading needles.

For a while I thought wistfully of how my 15 year old self used to thread needles for Aunty, sewing stacks of shirts for Uncle, 20 at a time too.

Then suddenly I thought, I can still thread hand needles, so I unscrewed the machine needle and put in the biggest needle I had.

It was not very big.  Later maybe I will get a self threading needle, but the ones I was shown at Michael's did not really work, so I bought  a big long darning needle and big thread instead.

Now I realized it's also bc of the angle and the sewing machine light having burned out, that I can't locate the eye of the needle.

I cant even wing it.

So I unscrewed it, held it up and threaded it, then carefully screwed it back in, making sure to keep the flat side away from me all the time.

This fixed it and I sewed and sewed beautiful white seams, all the stitches small and regular.

So now I don't need to re-thread the needle until the bottom thread runs out and needs rewinding

then I got the brilliant idea, I don't need to pull the thread out of the needle to rewind--

from now on I will always buy thread in the right colors in right gauge 2 bobbins at a time

e.g 8 white
8 black
6 pink and so on.

So I tried the new way, and it worked, but I still accidentally pulled the top thread out of the needle.

So in 8 hours I had to thread the needle twice.

This needs to be avoided.

Still, it is better than before, and I made a lovely vest to wear at cherry blossom time.

It has big flowers on a white linen ground, and I now finished it and am putting in pockets.

It looks a bit like Amal Cloony's white coat.

I realize most of my clothes were chosen or bought for me in Bkk by my flawless taste aunt and niece --Wow--thank you.

30-50 years later, and the fabrics are still lovely.

So happily I ran the sewing machine and made an infernal racket.

Let the neighbors complain if they wish.

They never have.

One liked my Beatles Yellow Submarine CD a lot.

Last night I listened to parts of The Magic Flute.

Tonight I will listen to Kyrie Elieson.

KM Kyi May Kaung
1-19-2015